Ski: Dynafit Chugach – 181cm

Wowza!! Dynafit finally makes a ski that actually skis well on the downhill! After skiing the Chugach for over a month now I am very impressed with how the ski handles every type of snow conditions from ice to crud to pow pow. Being able to actually stay on edge and carve a turn is something the lightweight skis struggle with.

However, with that strength comes some sacrifice on weight. The 181cm ski weighs in at 1950g, which is a bit heavier than the typical Dynafit skis, but the added weight is well worth the downhill performance. The ski features an early rise tip, which is nice for busting through deep and variable snow on the way up and down.

Overall, this really is a fantastic ski and I plan to use it for my everyday workhorse in all conditions.

Binding: Dynafit Radical 2.0 FT12

With a brand new design, Dynafit has entered a DIN certified tech binding in to market. This is overall a fantastic binding, but I want to focus on some of the differences (good/ bad) from the traditional Dynafit Tech bindings of the past.

Toe piece rotation/ pivot 5mm in each direction – This rotation is a huge part in giving the binding a reliable release and DIN Certification. However, the rotation can make stepping into the heel piece a little more difficult. You also need to have the toe piece rotated in the perfect spot to lock out the toe piece when switching to tour mode.

The brake is separate from the heel tower – This allows the user to switch to tour mode and the brakes stay engaged until you step back into the binding. Feel free to lay your skis flat while in tour mode during your transitions without worrying they will slide away.

Heel elasticity of 10mm – The heel towers now have 10mm of elasticity and you no longer need to measure the distance from the back of your boot to the binding for proper spacing. I think this is a huge improvement allowing the binding to ski much better and allow for more flex in the ski while turning or jumping cliffs.

Weighing in at a slightly heavier 599g compared to the previous Radical model’s 533g, this binding is worth all the new safety features.

Skins: Dynafit Pomoca Speedskin

This is my first pair of Pomoca skins and I couldn’t be happier. Coming from the tried and true BD Ascension skins I was a bit skeptical making the switch. My biggest apprehension was how well the skins would stick to my skis after making multiple laps. After using the skins for a month I’ve had no glue issues in all types of temperatures. The Dynafit/Pomoca skins glide muc smoother, and I haven’t had snow globing on the skins while others in my group have.

One other big difference with these skins for me is that the clip is at the tip of the ski rather than the tail. This means no more tail clips falling off! However it is a little tricky ripping skins with your skis on. I’m still working on that.